Walks from Twyford

A mostly flat route following the Thames Path from Henley via Shiplake to Sonning and then looping back on the opposite bank along a narrow grassy path to Charvil and a pavement walk into Twyford. The Thames Path is a rough track in places and can get quite muddy and rutted. Some steps and narrow gates. Follows the Thames Path National Trail for much of its length. To enjoy the 2020 loop of the Thames Path through Shiplake, turn left off Mill Road soon after the pub and duck under the railway. Many private-property signs line the Thameside section.

Waterway: three fifths along the River Thames.

Time: 4h–7h30

Lunch: A choice of amenities in Sonning.

Warnings: Crossing a really busy roundabout with no pedestrian crossing on the approach to Twyford. The Thames Path can get muddy and rutted. Steps and narrow gates.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A largely riverside route following the River Kennet and then the Thames Path for a long stretch and with open fields and shaded paths. A narrow path past Sonning Lock with barbed-wire fences can become muddy in wet weather; the approach to Twyford is on a metalled road and through a country park. Follows the Thames Path and the Oscar Wilde Memorial Walk past the walls of Reading Gaol; passes Reading Abbey ruins and Abbey Gardens. A detour through Charvil Country Park gives respite from the main road.

Waterway: two thirds along the River Thames.

Reading Abbey: the ruins of a major medieval abbey founded by Henry I, beside the former Reading Gaol where Oscar Wilde was imprisoned.

Time: 3h–5h30

Lunch: Refreshments available at Sonning, roughly midway.

Warnings: An unavoidable stretch of the A3032 Old Bath Road has a narrow pavement near Twyford, and there is an annoying crossing of the A4.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

An absolutely gorgeous series of woodland, field and lane; Slow Ways don't get better than this. A flat but varied route, mainly traffic-free and quiet, through town footpaths, fields and woods, taking in a rural middle section between Ruscombe and Lillibrooke Manor with pretty villages and old manors and historic churches. Many parts can be very muddy after rain; some stiles and kissing gates. Passes a landscaped estate at Shottesbrooke where sheep graze. The earliest pub heading from Maidenhead is at Waltham St Lawrence, just over six miles in.

Time: 4h–8h

2 lunch spots: the Bell, or the Beehive

Warnings: The route just south of Southbury Farm runs very close to a river and is commonly flooded, with no path where one is marked; an alternative also floods badly after heavy rain. At Lillibrooke Manor the right of way runs alongside the gravel drive, not up it, but is poorly signed and can lead walkers into private grounds. Plenty of mud after rain.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A largely off-road walk across Berkshire farmland, using town green spaces, byways, country lanes and field paths, with several stretches of unavoidable road walking. The field and woodland paths can be narrow and uneven and very muddy after rain.

Time: 4h–7h30

2 lunch spots: the Shurlock Inn, or the Stag and Hounds

Warnings: Mud is a real problem here, even after dry spells. Some road and verge walking is unavoidable, including a stretch alongside Maidenhead Road if the private Billingbear Park crossings are blocked. Footpaths can be narrow and lined with thorny bushes.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A pleasant route that more or less follows the River Loddon and with a half-mile of street walking out of Twyford and an unappealing pavement stretch into Wokingham along suburban streets and the busy Reading Road. The footpath through the Loddon Nature Reserve and along the river is rough in places and can be very muddy. Skirts Dinton Pastures Country Park. Passes through the Loddon Nature Reserve and skirts Dinton Pastures Country Park; starting from Winnersh shortens the dull initial stretch.

Loddon Nature Reserve: a former gravel-pit reserve between the River Loddon and a lake at Twyford, rich in wildlife with boardwalk paths.

Time: 3h–5h30

Lunch: There is also a café beside the main lake at Dinton Pastures Country Park, a short detour off the route.

Warnings: Follows a busy road for a sixth of the walk. A fallen tree may block the path close to Twyford. The Wokingham end runs next to the busy Reading Road. Can be muddy.

Walk details: Slow Ways.